Happy 10th Anniversary to Strong Arm Steady’s second studio album In Search Of Stoney Jackson, originally released January 26, 2010.
The ’90s and early ’00s were filled with hip-hop supergroups that never came to fruition. Like-minded artists can come together with good intentions, believing that they can make a more substantial mark together than separate. It’s a noble sentiment, but it’s difficult to pull off. Too many, if they ever release an album, turn out to be less than the sum of their parts.
Strong Arm Steady is a prime example of a collective that bucked this trend. Composed of Marvin “Krondon” Jones, Jason “Phil Da Agony” Smith, and Charles “Mitchy Slick” Mitchell, the Southern California-based collective came to together to release some of the best material of each of the individual artists’ careers. Released ten years ago, their second and best album, In Search Of Stoney Jackson, was fueled by one of the best producers in the business.
Strong Arm Steady (SAS) was first formed back in 2003, with a loose, much more extensive lineup that included Xzibit, then basking in his Pimp My Ride fame, as well as Planet Asia and Chace Infinite. They released over a half a dozen mixtapes before being picked up by Talib Kweli’s Blacksmith imprint. Xzibit left the fold shortly afterwards.
With their numbers pared down to three, the crew eventually set up recording their first full projects. One of these became In Search Of Stoney Jackson, their tongue-in-cheek dedication to an African-American icon of flyness during the late ’70s and early ’80s. Jackson was best known for his roles on TV Shows like The White Shadow and 227, his appearance as a dancer in Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” video, and for his long mane of luxurious Jheri curls.
Stoney Jackson was produced in its entirety by Otis “Madlib” Jackson and was distributed through Stones Throw, his label at the time. Phil and Krondon had connections to the elusive super-producer through their mutual affiliation with Tha Alkaholiks crew. Because Madlib was a bit hard to connect with even in the late ’00s, SAS got access to 200 or so of his beats through mutual friend DJ J Rocc. The crew sifted through the tracks and put together a project that balances the group’s styles with Madlib’s surreal sensibilities.
Lyrically, SAS keeps things pretty level, either kicking braggadocio-related rhymes or addressing topics in a straightforward manner. Due to the frequent guest appearances, the album often has the feel of an extended posse cut. According to Krondon, much of the recording process was reminiscent of jazz recording session, “a jam of lyrics and beats.”
The constants throughout are Phil Da Agony and Krondon (Mitchy Slick only appears on a pair of tracks), but there are numerous appearances from the aforementioned Planet Asia, as well as Talib Kweli and Chace Infinite. The album also features a veritable roll call of Southern California-based “underground” artists, along with other stalwarts from elsewhere in the country grinding outside of the mainstream.
The Madlib tracks on Stoney Jackson are appreciably different than some of his best-known projects of the ’00s. After the fever dream that was Madvillainy (2004), Madlib spent the rest of the ’00s doing spot production and releasing his Beat Konducta and Medicine Show series. While albums like Madvillainy leaned more towards an international music palette, the tracks that SAS selected had a different flavor. While some were inspired by Vietnam era dusty soul, many were inspired by late ’70s/early ’80s R&B and rock.
The album-opening “Best Of Times” sets the jam session-esque tone for the rest of the album, with Phil, Krondon, and Phonte each providing their own interpretation of the song’s title. While Phil reminisces about the era that shaped his mentality, Krondon focuses on trying to find peace of mind while attempting to “untie that ribbon in the sky.” Phonte, who also croons the track’s chorus, shares his thoughts on the economic downturn of 2008. He balances the anger he feels towards wealthy companies receiving bailouts with the love for his family, musing, “Long as I got them we'll be able to fight this / ’Cause n***a, I’m Black, I was born in a financial crisis.”
“Cheeba Cheeba” is a string-heavy salutation to the benefits of smoking good green, as Phil and Krondon drop budded verses in-between samples of dialogue from Bill Cosby’s anti-drug album. “Chitlins & Pepsi,” featuring Planet Asia, functions as a celebration of healthy eating and a musical tribute to the late, great J Dilla, Madlib’s kindred spirit and creative partner in Jaylib. Here Madlib reworks a sample of LV Johnson’s “I Don’t Really Care” much like Dilla did when he used it as the foundation of “Airworks” on Donuts (2006).
Stoney Jackson often finds its groove when the emcees just focus on displaying their skills. “Get Started,” featuring Talib Kweli, feels like the SAS anthem, a triumphant announcement of their presence and their statement of purpose. Other tracks like the rugged and rough “Ambassadors” are exercises in lyrical aggression. “True Champs” is a more deliberate undertaking, with Evidence, Ohno, Montage One, and Roc C joining Phil and Krondon to flex their abilities over a soulful loop.
“Needle in the Haystack” features just Roscoe and Guilty Simpson, who kick high-octane lyrics over a swirling mix of horns and ghostly vocals. Simpson raps, “Maybe I’ll flatten them, it go Platinum / Fuck recorded disses, I’m physically attacking them, smacking them/ You’re too bitch to shoot up your house / Instead I’m punching dudes in the roof of their mouth.”
SAS does cover more serious topics on Stoney Jackson. The group is more contemplative on “Questions,” as Krondon, Planet Asia, and guest Fashawn use the track to reflect upon their roles in hip-hop at the time, and the obstacles that they worked to overcome to become successful. On his verse, Planet Asia assumes the role of a drug dealer, grappling with the fact that selling cocaine has enabled him to build a better life with the luxuries that he hadn’t been able to afford.
The album ends with “Two Pistols,” which, in terms of lyrical content, has the feel of a gangsta rap track, as SAS describe the gunplay that’s become commonplace in their lives. Whereas Phil boasts about being like “Fat Albert’s homie Dumb Donald with the mask” and dispersing violence with his fists and firearms, Krondon laments the viciousness that’s infected his own life and others in his neighborhood. The track has the densest feel of any beat on the album, a disconcerting mix of vocals and keyboard notes.
SAS released a few other albums soon after Stoney Jackson, including Arms & Hammers (2011) and Stereo Type (2012), a collaboration with producer Statik Selektah. Though each album was also dope, Stoney Jackson remains the best entry in the crew’s discography. Not only because Madlib is a helluva producer, but also because they kept things loose without ever being sloppy, while always executing at a high level.
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